🦅 Bald eagle vs Peregrine falcon 🦅
The bald eagle is about twice as long as the peregrine falcon. The peregrine falcon is about 5 times as fast as the bald eagle. The bald eagle weighs about 5 times as much as the peregrine falcon.
| Row | 🦅 Bald eagle | 🦅 Peregrine falcon |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed The peregrine falcon is about 5 times as fast as the bald eagle. | 35 to 40 mph56 to 64 km/h1 | 200 mph322 km/h2 |
| Weight The bald eagle weighs about 5 times as much as the peregrine falcon. | 7 to 14 lb3.2 to 6.4 kg3 | 1.1 to 3.1 lb500 g to 1.4 kg4 |
| Lives They are about the same. | 20 years20 years5 | 20 years20 years4 |
| Eats The bald eagle eats fish; the peregrine falcon eats meat. | mostly fish, plus ducks and dead animals | other birds, such as pigeons and ducks |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | near lakes, rivers and coasts across North America | every continent except Antarctica, on cliffs, coasts and tall city buildings |
Which one? Bald eagle or peregrine falcon
🏁 Who would win the race?
The peregrine falcon gets to the tree first. Over a short dash it is about 5 times as fast as the bald eagle. It isn't quite fair: the bald eagle is flying and the peregrine falcon is diving through the air.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed.
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The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/bald-eagle-vs-peregrine-falcon
Where these numbers come from
- National Park Service, Upper Delaware, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service, Denali and Yukon-Charley Rivers, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service, Kenai Fjords, checked 30 October 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service (North American bald eagle), checked 30 October 2026.